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In From the Publisher
11/11/08 02:20 PM
Name that tune. If your business was a song, what would it be? Is it a happy little number with a nice snappy beat that carries a melody of creativity and optimism? Or maybe a soothing lazy ole tune that warms the soul of regular Joes and invites complacency to feel right at home? An opera? Jazz? New Age? Rap? How about a sad country song where gossip, pessimism and that can't-do attitude ring true like a familiar old friend?
Every business has a personality in and of itself – a vibe, a feeling, an attitude – a predictable identity to it. Like a song. With a rhythm. A cadence or tempo that exudes the spirit of the company. Be it happiness, optimism, same ole same ole or we're gonna' crash and burn in hell any day now. Can you hear it? Sing along. All together now!
That beat and rhythm drives the organization and is self-perpetuating. It's probably hard to tell what kind yours is, too. Kind of like hearing yourself sing. Haven't we all heard singers who thought they were great but couldn't hit a note? Sometimes we just don't hear the music unless we make a point to listen.
So how do you tell what kind of place you're working at? What is the song it sings? Are you in tune with your business? Listen for the chords and the notes that play out every day. What do you hear? The music is often found in the topics of discussion and chatter that travel through the organization. It's hidden in the meeting agendas, the hall talk and the body of e-mails. It's what you and your employees spend most of your focus on. Is it good? Bad? Not sure?
Here are a couple of lyrical measures you can think about. Which scenario best reflects the mood and tone of your firm?
Do you spend most of your time talking about ideas and innovation? Or do things revolve around the next event – next deadline, next project, next quarter? How about people? Is the chatter mostly about office politics and people problems?
If you're a winning company, ideas and innovation are music to your ears. If you're average, the old familiar tune of the next event plays over and over and feels comfortable. If you're struggling, and perhaps not focused on success, the whining gossip, complaining and people problems ring through the day. Can you say gloom, despair and agony on me? (You do remember "Hee Haw," right? If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all. Remember?)
If folks have time to talk about their coworkers or if the routine, mundane events are all there is to work on, maybe it's time to innovate – to come up with new ideas and supercharge your business. Sing a new song. Get a new sheet of music. Try something new.
Perhaps the ideas are there and the visionary direction of the company is set, but the communication is lacking and employees aren't in the loop. Maybe it's time to orchestrate the future with enhanced communication, new meeting formats and a reshuffle of resources to find the harmony you need to succeed.
If employees don't know what's happening, they can't appreciate your ideas and direction you're headed. This makes them more apt to fill the day with negative vibes. If left alone, that rhythm carries the tune of the day and becomes the norm. Maybe you need to change the station if that's you.
Take a little time and assess the personality of your firm and come up with a good song, a vibe, and a tempo with a beat you and your employees can dance to! Wanna know how to do it? Give me a call or shoot me an e-mail, and I'll give you some ideas.
By Dag
In From the Publisher
10/6/08 11:38 AM
The dog was in the crate in the back of the SUV, barking and scratching, and I couldn't tell if she had to pee again or was just tired of the open road. Taking a dog and a three-year-old on a trip to the beach in the same car through Atlanta traffic and then some has to rank as one of the all-time insane things one would choose to do. But I did. What was I thinking?
By now, some four hours into the trip home, the Dora the Explorer song on the DVD must have played 237 times directly in my ear. What? You don't know Dora? Lucky you.
It did, however, beat listening to my daughter cry, so I went with it. DVD players in the car? Who woulda thunk it? Life savers.
We all were hungry. Real hungry. Where? On Highway 16 on what has to be the longest stretch of highway without a fast food stop in Georgia. The Chex Mix and Skittles had run their course – all gone except for the ones scattered and squashed into the floorboard. A green, red and purple one rested next to the melted rainbow swirl lollipop that was welded to the drink holder. One look tells me it is now a permanent piece of flair to forever dress up the interior of the car.
We finally make it to the drive-thru. Survivor family we are not. We need nourishment, and we finally get it. All better now. Baby girl was even getting tired of Dora and asked mom to put in some kid songs. Whee, I say. Kid songs. Great.
I try to get back in the zone. Think about business. That's one of the things I like about road trips. You kind of zone out on the long drive and have a lot of good thinking time. Sometimes vision. Sometimes worry. This time, more worry than vision. What about the future? Am I making the right decisions? What if things don't go as I plan? I'll admit it, sometimes that's a scary place to be. I was afraid.
Fear can be the enemy of an entrepreneur and hold you back from taking that bold step forward. Other times, it's a much-needed warning sign telling you to take it slow and be sensible. The problem? Being able to tell what fear is trying to tell you at any given moment.
So I'm in the zone. Mile after mile, inching my way home in traffic. Still worrying. Still afraid. And then I hear my daughter start singing along in the most angelic voice I have ever heard. Yes, she is my daughter, and I'm biased, but it was angelic.
"When I am afraid, I will trust in you. Trust in you. Trust in you." With every verse, she sang louder. She loved to sing the "trust in you" part. I couldn't look at her directly, but I had to steal a look in the rearview or she'd stop singing, and I'd run off the road.
I wish you could have seen her smile. I thought for a moment what a great mantra for my three-year-old to have in that little head of hers. It seemed to bring her so much joy. I listened to Gracie that day and thought of her words as I pondered my business the rest of the way home. What an inspiration.
When I am afraid, I will trust in you. When I am afraid, I will trust in you. Good advice for any businessperson, I'd say. Thank you, Gracie. 
By Dag
In From the Publisher
9/2/08 03:00 PM
So yeah, the economy has seen better days, but a bad day in Gwinnett is still a pretty good day. I think it's prudent to be surefooted and cautious during times of economic uncertainty, but I also think you can go too far.
After all, what self-respecting entrepreneurial spirit would not march ahead with bravado and optimism in the pursuit of his or her dreams? Regardless of all the news to the contrary, I believe we still live in extraordinary economic times and opportunity abounds.
At a time of year when so many companies budget for the following year, I hate to see negative news. I don't want it to dampen the entrepreneurial spirit and stifle action that normally drives business.
I admit it. I stick my head in the sand and prefer to think positive. That's me. And there is some science on my side. Statistically, it's been proven that companies who stay the marketing course during down times experience more growth and profits when the good times return.
So let's start the movement and think positive. Let's take action early and stay in control of our business destinies.
Keep believing in your mission and your company direction. Invest in yourself and your business.
Of course, be sagacious, but don't listen to too much negative news on the national front. Instead, let's be thankful for the great business climate we have in Gwinnett, and let's keep thriving and improving every step of the way.
Don't give up. Don't give in. Keep your focus, and let the good times roll!
By Dag
In From the Publisher
8/25/08 09:56 AM
I remember back in nineteen hundred and something we used to drive all the way to Tucker just to get a hamburger. When progress hit, we finally got us a McDonald's on Highway 29 in Lilburn, and we celebrated. (Okay, so I was 16 at the time, and it didn't take much to get us excited.)
Soon we had a Burger King on Rockbridge Road (which is now Jimmy Carter Boulevard) and we knew we were in the big time. Fast forward to today and I have four Starbucks within a stone's throw of my house and a plethora of fast food choices within a few miles. Forget those days of driving to Tucker – we've got it all.
On the way to the office today, I passed by a couple of fast food chains that surprisingly have closed up shop. Back in the day, I would have never thought that the economic pressures would someday reach so far that a burger joint wouldn't make it – not here in Gwinnett. But I was wrong.
So is it that economic times are putting the squeeze on us to such a degree that "tried and true" business models like fast food franchises are suffering? I'm sure all businesses are impacted by the economy to a degree, but I also think tough times have a way of revealing a shaky business strategy that might have been that way from the get-go.
In boom times, you can get by taking some shortcuts and with some less-than-perfect business plans. But when things tighten up, those voids are revealed.
On the surface, I see the burger joint closed, and it worries me. But when I think about it, the location was horrible, the market was saturated and the customer base fragmented.
In better times, I would have driven by and proclaimed, "I don't see how they make it in a location like that." Now, in more challenging times, I drive by and catch myself thinking, "Wow, times are really bad. Even the burger joint is closing up!"
I don't mean to downplay the significance of our economic challenges right now. I know it's tough in a lot of sectors. But I do think we have to keep things in perspective and watch our worry factor. We have to make sure we draw the right conclusions from what's going on around us. You don't want to let worry stifle your successful business formula in spite of what you think you see.
Have you ever heard the saying, "Worry is a prayer for the things you don't want"?
Confidence and steadfast focus on your goals can help navigate challenging times. Keep your focus on the right things. Keep time in perspective – things will get better again, and if you have a solid business, you'll weather the storm if you continue to focus on success.
So yes, let's all hold on tight while we endure high gas prices, rising costs and challenging economic conditions. But let's affirm success and stay focused along the way. Let's keep vision and long-term success at the forefront of our thinking.
By DAG
In From the Publisher
7/25/08 10:04 AM
As your business grows, it becomes more important and challenging to work on the critical tasks that drive your success ahead of all others. Sounds simple enough, right?
But what do you do when there are so many irons in the fire that it's hard to focus on which tasks are the most important? I've seen it a thousand times. Lived it really, more so than I wish.
Most folks stay extremely busy and everyday you come in and tackle what's first on the list. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Who will show up in your office? Who will give you that call? What e-mail is waiting for you when you first wake up?
Oftentimes, you just plow right into the day and start handling things. Then one day becomes the next and the next and pretty soon the week is gone. Pretty soon, a month clicks off the calendar. Pretty soon, you're looking at your big projects and realizing you've not made much progress.
Were you goofing off? Hardly. Working hard? For sure. Exhausted from the intensity of the day-to-day tasks that robbed your time? Probably so.
Sometimes we get so busy that we lose sight of those tasks that are the most important to our overall success. We just take what's served up on the plate instead of making wise choices on where to spend our time.
Making prioritization a priority in your life is the key to applying yourself in the most effective and rewarding way. You have to stop and take the time to order things. Think about which tasks are the most important to the success of your business. Which duties offer the best payoff? What are those things you should be doing to achieve your goals?
If you're going to make wise choices about order, you have to know ahead of time which things are the most important and most deserving of your time. Then, when day-to-day tasks come flying your way, you'll be armed with the information you need to deflect some of the less important ones, so you can keep your focus on those that count the most.
Prioritization is an art form. It's a core function of a thriving business. It can be as critical as sales, accounting or production, and if you're managing a business, prioritization may very well be your top priority!
By DAG
In From the Publisher
6/25/08 10:18 AM
Had any big ideas lately? I'd say the height of creativity and new ideas in most businesses happens when you first get started. Every day new things have to be put in place, and your idea sensors are running full speed. Chances are, you probably had your "big idea" when you decided to start your business. If you're in management, my guess is that the early days in your job were your most observant, and you aggressively looked for opportunities to implement new ideas.
So how valuable was your big idea? If you had the idea to start a business, offer a new product line or expand to new markets, what has that been worth to you in dollars? I'd have to bet if you are somewhat successful, you've had some winners along the way, and they have been worth thousands, if not millions, of dollars.
I think ideas are the most valuable asset a business can have, and cultivating those ideas and actually trying to produce ideas on a routine basis should be a cornerstone in every business. All you have to do is calculate how much your original ideas were worth and that should convince you. In fact "idea production" may be your most lucrative product.
But in spite of that, time and time again I hear of companies that are stuck in a rut of complacency and sameness. I guess we figure that if things are working, then why change them? Or maybe we're afraid to change what has worked for years. Sometimes when sales and performance trend down, instead of thinking innovation, we gravitate towards the security of what worked for us in the past. In other words, we hunker down hoping to rediscover that magic that worked when we had our original "big idea." It worked before…so let's just stick with that.
And you know, sometimes that is exactly what you need to do.
Over the years, it is possible that you can gradually drift away from the fundamentals and not even realize it. So, sometimes you may be right to revisit the old ways, and make sure you're doing all the things you did before to succeed. But my guess is that the lack of innovation and new thinking is the bigger dilemma. Times and conditions change, and I think you have to be poised to reinvent yourself on a continual basis or run the risk of getting stagnant.
However, ideas – new ones and or tweaks to the old ones – would seem to be a gold mine for most businesses. Energized thinking, creativity and a proactive effort toward advancing ideas should hedge your success in the future. If the return on investment is what I think it is, focusing on ideas is a no-brainer.
In the meantime, crank up those brain cells and get to thinking. There is no telling how much your next big idea will be worth!
By DAG
In From the Publisher
5/25/08 10:02 AM
Show me a successful entrepreneur and I'll show you a control freak who loves perfection – or at least the pursuit of it. That driving personality is oftentimes what business is made of. Part vision, part optimism and part bull-headed determination drive a lot of the businesses I see.
But can the pursuit of perfection go to far? Ask employees of your firm and you might hear a resounding "yes!" Often times we see new projects and services get stalled before they ever get to market. Paralysis by analysis sets in and things just never seem to get done. You want things just right before they go to market, so you might tend to look over and over and over at ways to improve before you ever hit the streets with something new.
To add insult to injury, you might assemble a committee and have them study the situation for a couple months and make additional recommendations. The more heads, the better. Right?
Sometimes it pays to step back and get out of your own way. Let things evolve rapidly. Not everything has to be perfect at first. Remember how it was when you first started your business? Chances are, things weren't perfect, but you pressed on due to your instinct for survival.
You might find that in the long run, maintaining momentum may be more important than having things perfect before you go to market. Don't let your company's progress stall because of that worry.
Does that mean you should be happy with substandard work? Absolutely not. But there may be room to loosen up a little bit and keep things moving with incremental improvement along the way. Deciding when good is good enough can weigh heavily in your financial success.
I think over the course of time a business owner loses some of that instinct he or she had when first starting up. In those early years, survival was the key factor so, in a way, decisions were easier. Most businesses early on don't have the time or luxury to contemplate new ideas or improvements because the focus was zeroed in on things critical to business success.
As a business matures, it's both a blessing and a curse to have more time and more options to pursue. A firmer foundation and a choice of business opportunities is certainly nice to have, but you lose that single-minded decision making borne in a simpler time. Having the luxury to pursue perfection can also slow you down to a point where your business suffers.
My advice is to stay nimble and quick. Keep your eye on continual improvement of your products and services but don't sit on them to the point you're not in the market.
I don't mean put out faulty products and services. Far from it. I just mean you should recognize when good is good enough to go to market and deliver value to your customer. You can work toward perfection every day but you have to get new products and service to market or you'll never have the chance to succeed or fail.
Being first counts for a lot. Quality is extremely important and I don't advocate rushing bad products and services to market, but I suggest that somewhere in the perfectionist mind of an entrepreneur lies a little room to balance the importance of perfection with momentum.
By DAG
In From the Publisher
4/2/08 08:54 AM
Have you seen that new version of the Newlywed show? It's a cross between Survivor and the old Newlywed game that used to come on afternoon TV with Bob Eubanks. Basically, a few couples live together in a house trying to win question-and-answer games, and of course somebody gets voted off.
In the episode I saw a couple weeks ago, the husbands took a turn “roasting” their wives and exposing some telling character traits for good fun. Most took it all in stride and showed good humor letting their beloved spouse exaggerate some of their quirky habits. Sure there was some embellishing at play, but hints of the truth were revealed in the process.
One couple was very uncomfortable and totally put off by the whole idea. The husband just couldn't bring himself to roast his wife for fear of repercussions. She appeared way uptight, as if she didn't have even a hint of a sense of humor. Fear – that's what you saw from both of them.
So it got me to thinking... How would you as a manager or business owner stand up to a roast from your co-workers and employees? What would they say? Can you predict what they would focus on? Would they have to exaggerate much or do you give them more material than they know what to do with?
Think you'd be surprised? Hurt? Angry? Could you take it? I think a roast by nature would probably sting a little bit but with the right sense of humor it could be fun and constructive. No doubt there would be some truths revealed that might help you improve your management style. Or not.
As your humble GBJ publisher, I will hereby take a back seat to you on this one. Rather than me step up and subject myself to a roast by my own team, why don't you try it first and let me know how it goes!
By David
In From the Publisher
3/7/08 02:42 PM
Last week my family got hit big time with the flu. I wasn't pretty. We've always been a pretty resilient bunch, but this time my wife, my daughter and I were down for the count. We were out of work for a week and half to two weeks. And I mean out; not calling in to offer direction, not fielding questions, just out. There was a time when I thought we wanted to go check into the hospital. You know you're sick when you want to go to the hospital.
My team rallied and ran the show. I couldn't tell you the problems they conquered or how I left them hanging – I can only tell you I was thankful the company had enough depth to keep things rolling and handle whatever needed to happen. Thanks, team!
Those who run small businesses know that's something you can't take for granted. Our company hasn't always been this strong. This may have been the most intense test we've faced, and boy did the team rise to the occasion. Makes me wonder if I should just stay away more often!
When it first became apparent I was going to be out for a while, I let folks know who in the company would make decisions in my absence. I had a few folks I could choose from that I instinctively trusted to guide the day-to-day. I remember a time when I didn't have even one. Now I have several.
Thinking through this and being this prepared didn't happen by accident. I'll admit, I haven't been working and planning so I could be sick, but I have consciously been building our team so it can run without me, the theory being that I would be freed up to concentrate on growing the company. Those entrepreneurial instincts proved to be a blessing.
We should all be reminded that any business owner and manager had better think in advance on short- and long-term succession planning. Sure there is the "when I retire" succession plan but equally – if not more – important is the "what's going to happen if I'm suddenly out of work" plan.
Could your company run without you for an entire month if it had to? What kinds of things do you do that nobody else knows how to do right now? Do you have redundancy at every functional area?
Believe me, the time to think about this is when you feel good. Don't wait and be caught by surprise and don't just give it a little lip service. I left work on a Friday looking forward to a new week at work and within 24 hours was laid up in bed for two solid weeks. Don't think it can't happen to you.
Be smart. Get prepared for the unexpected.
P.S. Thanks to my team for all your extra effort!
By David
In From the Publisher
2/6/08 09:53 AM
When it comes down to it, owning a business or performing as a manager means one thing - making a lot of decisions.
If you're in a leadership role, I'm thinking decisions might just be your primary work product - why you get paid. It's why you make the big bucks and what you do countless times every day.
Well, what would happen if you started to track them more carefully? Did you ever count up the number of decisions you make in a day? What about keeping track of how many good, bad or so-so decisions you are responsible for? What if everybody who made decisions kept a running scorecard - kind of like a lifetime batting average of decision making. Would you be a superstar in the major leagues or a struggling rookie on the farm team?
How about committees and teams? Have you ever charged your group from the onset with instructions like, "you're here to make eight decisions, and you have two hours to do it in"?
Most often, managers are measured by production quotas, sales goals or, ultimately, the bottom line on a monthly profit and loss statement. Sometimes though, it's helpful to have a more frequent measure to track incremental progress each day. The challenge with managers is then what to measure - what are their output numbers? What "product" does a manager "produce," if you will? I'm suggesting that executive teams and managers could benefit from having measures on their performance just like you expect from the folks who report to you.
Imagine emerging from your leadership meetings and reporting to your troops, "We've made 17 decisions today and here they are...and our last month's decision averages are in and your leadership team's scorecard ranking is 87." (Meaning you made 87 percent good decisions and a few that were duds.)
And what about your procrastination stats? How are they shaping up? Keeping a separate list of those pesky things that are hard to decide can be enlightening too. As a matter of fact, if this list grows big, it could be the earliest indicator you'll have on inefficiency or future doom. I think it was Roosevelt who said, "In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing."
At the end of every discussion, of every report, of every agenda item, somewhere in the mix lies the next decision to be made. Think of your management team as a decision factory of sorts, and focus your meeting agendas around the ultimate decision to be made. Try starting every topic with, "We need to decide ___________." And count them. Track the outcome, and then see if your good decision batting average correlates with bottom-line results. I'm thinking there's a connection there.
I've made a decision. I've decided to decide what I should do next. That's one!
By David
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